The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-08-06
ENGLISH AS SHE is TAUGHT,

amusing Biunders That Have Been Made
In New York School, r looms.
In spite of the publication of the
amusing and depressing book with the
above title, the blunders made in the
school-room are by no means exhaust.
ed in it. Here are a few fresh ones
One Of the questions in an examine
ton was: "Name several Of the ex-
ports of Florida" The boy who wrote
the following answer showed that he
read the newspapers and listened to
travellers tales: ~"Crocodiles, alliga-
tors, reptiles, and invalids when they
have got WELL"
Teachers are sometimes startlingly
enlightened as to the absolute stupidity
Of pupils. Here is n case. A young
woman, placed in a certain class be-
cause of age rather than attainments,
had for weeks studied pages Of
text books and listened to talks on
human physiology. illustrated by dia-
grams, the skeleton. etc. At the close
Of the term she had an opportunity to
show her comprehension of the work.
In answer to the demand to explain
the respiratory process, no response
came. The professor, seeing her
blank look, put the statement as sim.
ply as possible: with what do you
breathe-with your MOUTH" She
began to say Eyes" but a friendly
neighbor gave her a warning nudge.
and she said NO." well, with
what?' Il don't know; I forget"
She further showed her knowledge by
describing the gullet as nine inches in
diameter. Another time. after a
sleeps heart had been dissected and
thoroughly discussed before the class,
she was asked to describe the course
Of the blood through it. After re-
garding it helplessly for a few mo.
ments, she declined on the ground that
she saw no opening in 'the point for
the blood to get out.
A young lady Of similar natural en-
dowments was, to the great distress Of
the teacher, a member Of the class in
English history. The date Of Eliza
beth's reign had come up so frequent
ly that, one day when favored with
visitors, the teacher felt safe in asking
this stupid young woman the date of
Elizabeth's death. The answer came
slowly but surely, "From 1858 to 1908"
A little girl who had not learned the
table for wine easur was much
puzzled by reading on the blackboard:
If a quart of wine costs one dollar,
how much will three hogsheads COST"
Finally she asked: Teacher, how
many hogs will there be if there's three
heads?"
Even attentive pupils find difficulty
in compromising what they hear,
and in grasping the connection Of
A class had a short account
Of Richard Ceur de Lions romantic
adventures read to them. The pupils
were asked to tell it in their W words.
One stated that Richard, when in
Syria, had been asked to a banquet
by Aladdin who had the hearts Of the
English knights, his prisoners. served
as part Of the feast. Richard, eating
the hearts of one who had killed q
lion, was ever after known as the
Lion-hcarted."
Another told how severely this King
had been used while in captivity. the
finally eliminating in his
captors reducing him to a diet OF
worms.
To be strictly fair to all parties 1t
be stated that all the class room
blunders are not made by the pupils.
. teacher who had achieved an excel.
lent reputation in one grade to whose
range of studies she had strict
" confined. herself, suddenly and with
out time for preparation found her
self promoted to a higher posi-
lion. One day when the visiting
of the board of educa.
lion was present, the question came up
In the course of the lesson: "Who
discovered the Hudson riverP'
Henry Hudson" replied the child.
..Oh, no." said the teacher; ''don't
you know Henry Hudson discovered
.udson's Bay, but DeSoto discovered
The river" This teacher also finds 1t
iifi cult to believe that a number null
tiplied by a cipher gives a product OF
nothing. II you take eight dollars no
lines 1t can not be possible to have
nothing! =.
Another teacher said to o member OF
he State Board of Health who was in.
the condition Of her room:
mo; l haven't any ventilators; !
see any use for them" But
low do 20 keep the air pureP' ION,
we got a thermometer. "-Cor. Albany
N. " ArQNs.